nounEtymology: International Scientific Vocabulary, from Greek porphyra purpleDate: 1910
any of various compounds with a macrocyclic structure that consists essentially of four pyrrole rings joined by four =CH– groups; especially one (as chlorophyll or hemoglobin) containing a central metal atom and usually exhibiting biological activity

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porphyrin — [pôr′fə rin] n. [&LT; Gr porphyra, purple + IN1] any of a group of pyrrole derivatives, found in cytoplasm, that combine with iron and magnesium to form heme and chlorophyll, respectively … English World dictionary

Porphyrin — Structure of porphine, the simplest porphyrin Heme group of hemoglobin. An … Wikipedia

porphyrin — noun Any of a class of heterocyclic compounds containing four pyrrole rings arranged in a square; they are important in biochemistry in a form with a metal atom in the central cavity (hemoglobin with iron, chlorophyl … Wiktionary